Nîmes is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes.

Dubbed the most Roman city outside Italy, Nîmes has a rich history dating back to the Roman Empire when the city was a regional capital, and home to 50,000–60,000 people. Several famous monuments are in Nîmes, such as the Arena of Nîmes and the Maison Carrée. Because of this, Nîmes is often referred to as the French Rome.

Origins

The site on which the built-up area of Nîmes has become established in the course of centuries is part of the edge of the alluvial plain of the Vistrenque River which butts up against low hills: to the northeast, Mont Duplan; to the southwest, Montaury; to the west, Mt. Cavalier and the knoll of Canteduc.

Geography

Climate

Nîmes is one of the warmest cities in France. The city has a Mediterranean climate. It’s slightly inland, southerly location results in hot air over the city during summer months, temperatures above 34 °C are common in July and August, whereas winters are cool but not cold.

Sights

Several important remains of the Roman Empire can still be seen in and around Nîmes:

• The elliptical Roman amphitheatre, of the 1st or 2nd century AD, is the best-preserved Roman arena in France.
• The Maison Carrée (Square House), a small Roman temple dedicated to sons of Agrippa was built c. 19 BC.
• The 18th-century Jardins de la Fontaine (Gardens of the Fountain) built around the Roman thermae ruins.
• The nearby Pont du Gard
• The nearby Mont Cavalier is crowned by the Tour Magne (“Great Tower”), a ruined Roman tower.

Later monuments include:

• The cathedral 
• The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes

There is modern architecture at Nîmes too: Norman Foster conceived the Carré d’art (1986), a museum of modern art and mediatheque, and Jean Nouvel designed the Nemausus, a post-modern residential ensemble.

Economy and infrastructure

Nîmes is historically known for its textiles. Denim, the fabric of blue jeans, derives its name from this city (Serge de Nîmes). The blue dye was imported via Genoa from Lahore the capital of the Great Mughal.

Culture

In the famous novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, in Nîmes, the procureur du roi Villefort kills the older brother of Bertuccio, a soldier in Napoleon’s army, as he is en route to his home in Corsica in 1829. Bertuccio declares a vendetta on Villefort and stabs him; Villefort survives and asks for a transfer out of the city. Bertuccio later becomes a servant to the Count.

Two times per year, Nîmes hosts one of the main French bullfighting events, Feria de Nîmes (festival), and several hundreds of thousands gather in the streets.

Transportation

Nîmes-Alès-Camargue-Cévennes Airport serves the city. The Gare de Nîmes is the central railway station, offering connections to Paris (high-speed rail), Marseille, Montpellier, Narbonne, Toulouse, Perpignan, Figueras and Barcelona in Spain and several regional destinations.

Nîmes bus station is adjacent to the city centre railway station. Buses connect the city with nearby towns and villages not served by rail. 

Sport

The association football club Nîmes Olympique who has recently achieved promotion to Ligue 1 is based in Nîmes. World Archery Indoor World Cup takes place in Nîmes each year in mid January The local rugby union team is RC Nîmes.

There is a professional volleyball team located here.

The city hosted the opening stages of the 2017 Vuelta a España cycling race.